RbF #1 was black and white, with red spot coloring for the scenario pages and the cover.  RbF #2 was full color, which must have added to the production cost considerably.  RbF #3 compromised; it contained a color cover and red on the scenario pages, but was otherwise in black and white.  It was also printed on glossy paper. 

Issues

Recon by Fire Issue #1.  46 pages (including 8 scenarios).  The article content of the first RbF was a mix of both decent and mediocre.  Thematically, it focused on Blood Reef Tarawa, the MMP version of which had recently been released.  It included two brief vignettes of individuals who fought on Tarawa, a description of VASL (obviously dated now), a description of how Steve Dethlefsen as a USMC lieutenant in Operation Desert Storm used ASL to run wargame simulations of a planned attack by his regiment, a historical justification for the victory conditions in Blood Reef Tarawa's CGII and III, an article by Matt Shostak on building an ASL club, an AAR by Rob Seulowitz of a recent World Boardgaming Championships convention, and an article by Eddie Zeman and Steven Swann on Marine firepower in ASL.  More interesting was a series replay of a Red Barricades campaign game, a "Crossfire" scenario analysis of Scenario 35 (Blazin' Chariots) by Rob Banozik and Rich Summers, and an article by Matt Romey on the tactics of crossing open ground.   The 8 scenarios are a mix of medium-sized actions from all theaters, with no real standouts but, on the other hand, only one potential dog, RbF1-8 (Germeter by Meter).  One of the scenarios, RbF1-3 (South Park), uses the Cheneux map from Kampfgruppe Peiper II; another, RbF1-7 (Into the Cauldron), is a DASL scenario.   The scenario card artwork makes reading some of the 1/2" counters somewhat difficult.  Nevertheless, it is worth getting.

Recon by Fire Issue #2.  44 pages (including 10 scenarios, one of which is a reprint), a play aid (armored personnel carriers), and a DASL map (BF2).  A sophomore issue of RbF was a welcome surprise to many ASLers who thought it defunct.  Far from defunct, this issue even included extra goodies, such as a halftracks play aid and a geomorphic DASL map (the map is numbered BF2 because it was originally designed by Chas Smith when he ran Bounding Fire Productions, a short-lived third party publisher; BF1 appeared in BFP's Hell on Wheels battle pack).  Whereas Eddie Zeman edited the first RbF, Chas Smith took the helm for the second; indeed, it is almsot completely a Chas Smith production from articles to scenarios.   Smith wrote the main article in the magazine, a meaty tome on "breaching operations," i.e., the penetration of constructed defense lines in ASL.  Unfortunately, there are extremely few scenarios in ASL that allow the defender to have such elaborate defensive structures, so the article is of limited utility (though it may well be of interest to owners of Onslaught to Orsha, which does have such lines).   Two articles, one that gives an overview of  the on-line ASL Forums, and another that provides an overview of ROAR (the on-line database of ASL scenario balance records, are not very useful; people who are on-line tend to already be aware of such resources and people who are off-line are unlikely to seek them out.  Another Chas Smith article provides a useful and interesting overview of halftracks in ASL.  

The 10 scenarios in RbF2 are, as in the first issue, a mixed bag of nuts rather than grouped around a particular theme; however, the majority of the scenarios are East Front.  They also tend towards the large; there are no small scenarios, only medium and large ones.  They are also vehicle heavy; only a single scenario is infantry only, while some of the actions have a great many vehicles (half of the scenarios have 8+ vehicles; one scenario actually has 51 AFVs!).  The scenarios include 2 DASL scenarios (RBF-9, Rolling Stones, and RBF-12, Sverdlikova Melee, both of which use the included BF2 map) and one scenario, RBF-14 (Kampfgruppe Lang), which uses boards HOB-I and HOB-II from the HOB scenario pack High Ground!  All but one (the one reprint) of the scenarios were designed by Chas Smith (two of the scenarios were originally slated to appear in the never-produced Hermann Goering Division pack by Bounding Fire Productions).  Of the scenarios, particularly noteworthy are RBF12 (Sverdlikova Melee) and RBF14 (Kampfgruppe Lang); RBF15 (Shumilino) may also be worth trying.  RbF#2 is a good purchase, but it would have been even better with a more balanced scenario mix. 

Recon by Fire Issue #3.  60 pages (including 20 scenarios).  The third issue of RbF is billed as a "special edition" because, unlike its two predecessors, all of its scenarios are centered on a common theme, "Axis Minors at War," because Armies of Oblivion, which provided the full Axis Minor counterset, was finally available after years of delay.  If the previous issue was all about Chas Smith, the third issue is all about Steven Swann, the prolific scenario designer who wrote many of the articles in this issue and designed 15 of its 20 scenarios.  Swann, who was one of the persons who had done historical research for Armies of Oblivion, years earlier, had used the many-year delay of the module's release to design a host of Axis Minor-related scenarios.  Indeed, most of his scenarios appearing in RbF #3 were originally going to form a themed scenario pack centered around the 1st Romanian Armored Division.  Swann also contributed historical articles on Bulgarian armor, Hungarian paratroopers, and on Romanian and Hungarian armed forces, respectively.  Many will consider them informative and interesting, while others might wish for more gameplay-related, rather than historical, articles.  Seven of the articles in RbF#3, though, are analyses of scenarios that appeared in this issue or in Armies of Oblivion; they are useful and interesting.  The issue also includes a review by Chas Smith of Armies of Oblivion, although perhaps calling it a "first impressions" might be more accurate, as the article does not indicate that any scenarios had yet been played by the author at the time of its writing.  Smith criticizes MMP because 8 of the 11 scenarios in Armies of Oblivion were created by one designer--a somewhat interesting criticism in light of the designer balances in RbF#2 and RbF#3. 

Of the wealth of scenarios in RbF#3, one, RbF-34 (Bloody Hill) uses one of the HOB geomorphic mapboards found in High Ground!; the others all use standard geomorphic mapboards (no DASL).  Most follow the now standard Heat of Battle routine of including crews to use with MMG, HMG, and MTRs (an example of a "grudge rule;" Steve Swann does not like the fact that ASL rules allow regular infantry squads to man those weapons).  One scenario is all armor.  Six of the scenarios use "simultaneous setup," where a board is placed upright down the center of the map area so that players can set up their units not knowing how the other player is setting up; some ASLers dislike this type of setup because, since the defender cannot see half the mapboard, it is often difficult for the defender to set up a defense that protects all approach paths (it also makes it very valuable to have played the scenario previously). 

One of the most common criticisms of Armies of Oblivion was that most of the scenarios in that module were quite large, with few options for tournament play or for a simple afternoon or evening-long scenario.  As a result, many ASLers were looking to third party publishers to design small and medium sized scenarios using the Axis Minor forces.  Unfortunately, the scenarios in RbF#3 replicate, if not exacerbate, the exact same problem.  Of the 20 scenarios, only one (the all armor scenario) can be considered smallish (5 tanks vs. 12 tanks) and only 4 medium-sized; the remaining 15 scenarios are all large.  In fact, some of them are massive.  in RBF-23 (Romanian Holiday), the combined forces have 39 squads; in RBF-24 (Meeting Again), they have 42 squads; in RFB-25, they have 42 squads; in RBF-26 (Flatfooted Cavalry), they have 69 squads; in RBF-30 (Stalingrad South), they have 42 squads; in RFB-31 (German Rescue), they have 56 squads; in RBF-32 (Mountain Crossmarch), they have 45 squads; in RBF-34 (Bloody Hill), they have 39 squads; in RBF-38 (No Quarter at Cluj), they have 60 squads.  And this is not counting all the vehicles, guns, and SW-toting crews that area also running around the battlefields.  It is unfortunate that there was not a more balanced mix of scenario sizes in RbF#3, because many people will simply not have the time or patience to play such massive scenarios.  The scenario mix renders RbF#3 somewhat disappointing.

Recon by Fire Issue #4.  44 pages (including 14 scenarios), countersheet with 176 5/8" counters, 1 unmounted DASL Map (BF1), 1 sheet of DASL size rubble overlays, 1 APC Player Aid (a fixed version of the one that originally appeared in RbF#2).   Recon by Fire #4 was eagerly anticipated by ASLers (and no doubt HOB anticipated that it would be popular), but when it finally came out, it was a big disappointment, for the same reason that it had been so anticipated: its counter sheet.  HOB announced that RbF#4 would focus on "Germany's Captured Vehicles," with scenarios featuring Soviet, French and other vehicles in German service.  The kicker, though, was that included with the issue would be a full-sized sheet of die-cut counters, the first from HOB since the impressive counters that appeared in Onslaught to Orsha.  Unfortunately, however, a printer error resulted in the counters being printed incorrectly:  the counter front was printed on the counter back and vice versa.  Thus all the vehicles were "upside down" in the sense that their wreck sides were on top of the counter.  Apparently, the printer refused to reprint the countersheets at their own expense and HOB decided to release the product "as is," with the defective countersheets.  To make matters worse, some (though not all) countersheets had counters that were poorly centered and, in some cases, had numbers that were partially cut off.  Moreover, of the 14 scenarios included in RbF#4, only 6 of them made any use of the new counters.  The disappointment that followed was palpable and largely (and perhaps somewhat unfairly) overshadowed the other components of RbF#4, but wargamers in general hate to play with inverted counters.  To make matters worse, HOB had released RbF#4 at the same time as two other products and had even offered all three together as a bundle, so for some gamers, the disappointment over the counters not only overshadowed the rest of RbF#4 but also the other two products. 

UPDATE NOTE:  Later in 2007, HOB printed a corrected version of the countersheet which fixed the problems of "backwards" printing and poor registration.  The new countersheet is far more useful and attractive than the original version of the countersheet.  Copies of RbF#4 bought directly from HOB after September 2007 should include the new countersheet.  However, used copies or copies sold by on-line retailers might have the earlier, far less desirable version--players should beware.  Owners of the original countersheet can obtain a "free" replacement sheet (free if some other HOB product is ordered; otherwise, one must pay a quite hefty "shipping & handling" fee). 

In addition to the counters, HOB includes 6 color pages of "Chapter H" style notes for the new vehicles.  The notes are interesting and have a lot of information.  One peculiar twist to the counters and notes is that throughout the German redesignations of the AFVs are used rather than the original names.  Thus a T-34 is actually referred to as a PZ 747b(r).  It would have been nice to have had the original tank designation somewhere on the counter as well (or instead), even if only on the back.

The article content of RbF#4, as before, is slight.  Worst is yet another set of fake ASL rules, which have a history dating back to Avalon Hill's ASL Annual and have an equally long history of not actually being funny at all.  The (interminably long) fake rule here is for a German ghoulash cannon.  Most interesting are the designers notes for Onslaught to Orsha; most useful is an almost comprehensive collection of HOB Errata and Q&A.  It is not, however, actually comprehensive, which is somewhat controversial.  Four products have no errata included, even though errata exists.  One of these is the HOB version of Blood Reef Tarawa; the errata just refers people to the MMP version of the game.  This is of little consequence, as there are probably no ASLers who play the HOB version.  However, HOB also excludes errata for its product God Save the King, referring people to MMP's A Bridge Too Far.  However, the latter is NOT the same game as the former, and people who own God Save the King might justifiably be a tad irritated.  The real issue, though, is the lack of errata for its two SS scenario packs--which HOB reprinted at that time.  This led many to suspect that the exclusion of SS pack errata was deliberate, in order to get more people to purchase the new, updated version rather than simply incorporate errata into the older versions they already owned.

Of the scenarios, 11 are original and 3 are reprints from the Hell on Wheels Battle Pack by Bounding Fire Productions (whose progenitor, Chas Smith, later joined HOB).  As mentioned, only 6 of the scenarios feature any new counters (though, considering the printing mistake, this may not be a bad thing).  The scenarios are not printed separately on cardstock but are included in the pages of the magazine.  Topically, they represent a varied mix, including Poland 1939, Denmark 1940 (?), Soviet Union 1941 (3 scenarios), Soviet Union 1942 (2 Stalingrad scenarios), New Georgia 1943, France 1944, Germany 1944 (2 scenarios), Belgium 1944, Germany 1945, and China (October) 1945.  Four of the scenarios are DASL scenarios (RBF-48, The Narrow Front; RBF-49 From Bad to Würselen; RBF-50, A Perfect Match; and RBF-25, Chou En Lai's Promise); all use the BF1 board.  One scenario (RBF-47, Splitting the Seam) uses board HOB V-1 from Beyond the Beachhead.  Two scenarios (RBF-43, Blood Factory, and RBF-44 Steelingrad) use the Red Barricades HASL Map and will probably be played quite a bit.

As has seemed to be an HOB trend for some time, scenarios in RbF#4 tend towards the large.  There are 3 small scenarios and 3 medium-sized scenarios; the remaining 8 are large.

The other components of RbF#4 are mostly retreads.  Perhaps most interesting for many is the DASL Map (BF2) and the DASL rubble overlays.  However, many ASL veterans will already have these items, as they originally appeared in the Hell on Wheels Battle Pack by Bounding Fire Productions (thus the map name).  However, the graphics of the DASL map are considerably better than those of the original.  The APC player aid is also a reprint, being a corrected version of a play aid that originally appeared in RbF#2. 

RbF#4 appears to be an average product, with strengths and weaknesses alike, but the misprinted countersheet is a handicap that it may just not be able to overcome, especially given that the product is overpriced.